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March 5

The State of Tech in Europe

Marco Marinucci - Mind The Bridge (IT | USA)
Gené Teare - Crunchbase (USA)


In Session Seven we present the results of recent quantitative assessments of the European startup and scaleup ecosystem that have been performed by the MindTheBridge innovation thinktank in partnership with Crunchbase and Startup Europe. Our two speakers will discuss major trends in continent-wide startup deals, corporate M&A activity, and current patterns in the scaleup and unicorns landscape of Europe and the US. Data presented are for 2017 - 2013, and include the United Kingdom.

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March 12

Kosovo|Albania & Germany : eCommerce Portals & InterCity Mobility Startups

Mergim Cahani - Gjirafa (KOS | AL)
Pierre Gourdain - FlixBus (Munich)
Burton Lee - Stanford Engineering (Silicon Valley)


In our final Session Eight we present two rapid-growth startups from widely contrasting regions of Europe. Kosovo recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as an independent nation, and together with Albania represents a newly emerging community in the Balkans that has to date received little international attention around entrepreneurship, innovation, science or technology. Bavaria, in contrast, is one of Europe's oldest, wealthiest and most mature economies, and home to world-renowned technology corporations and universities. Gjirafa, our second startup from the emerging Balkans ecosystem and headquartered in Kosovo, is the leading eCommerce internet portal for the Albanian-speaking community and diaspora. FlixBus, an intercity mobility services company based in Munich (vs Berlin or Hamburg, where our previous German startups have originated), is a rare but exciting example of a European startup leveraging traditional European strengths and an innovative business model to enter the US market, in this case with the goal of revitalizing America's intercity ground transportation infrastructure. The course instructor will wrap up the Winter Quarter with a summary of key themes and lessons from our 2018 speakers and panels.

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Partners 2018

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Mind The Bridge Foundation (MTB)

Time | Directions

Mondays 4:30 - 5:50 pm | Winter Quarter
Hewlett Teaching Center | Auditorium 201
Stanford University, Engineering Campus
370 Serra Mall
Stanford, CA 94305

Free On-Campus Parking from 4pm Onwards
Parking and On-Campus Directions

Schedule 2018 - Year Nine

January 8

Sweden & France : Autonomous Truck Startups
and State Venture Banks


Course Introduction & Logistics
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Robert Falck - Sweden

CEO & Founder

Einride
@EinrideOfficial || @Falck_Robert
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Paul-Francois Fournier - France

Chief Innovation Officer

Bpifrance
@BpiFranceInno || @Paul_F_Fournier
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Burton Lee - Silicon Valley

Lecturer - European Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Stanford Mechanical Engineering
@Europreneurs || @BurtonLee

January 22

Czechia & Slovakia : Venture Capital & Startup Ecosystems
in Central Europe


Session #2 Introduction & Logistics
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Andrej Kiska - Czech Republic

Partner

Credo Ventures
@CredoVentures || @KiskAndrej
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Barbara Pivnicka - USA

Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic

San Francisco Global Trade Council
@SlovakiaMFA
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Pavel Serbajlo - Slovakia

Co-Founder

M.dot
@PavelSerbajlo

January 29

Estonia : Urban Delivery Robot Startups & eGovt Innovation


Session #3 Introduction
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Ahti Heinla - Estonia

CEO & Co-Founder

Starship Technologies
@StarshipRobots || @AhtiH
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Toomas Hendrik Ilves - Silicon Valley

Distinguished Visiting Fellow

Hoover Institution || President of Estonia (2006-2016)
@StanfordCISAC || @IlvesToomas
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Andrus Viirg - Estonia

Director

Enterprise Estonia - Silicon Valley
@e-Estonia || @AndrusViirg
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Rainer Sternfeld - Silicon Valley

Founder

PlanetOS (acquired by Intertrust)
@IntertrustTech || @RSternfeld

February 5

Slovenia & Turkey : Startup Accelerators and Ecosystems
in the Balkans and Southeast Europe


Session #4 Introduction
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Ana Lukner Roljič - Slovenia

Managing Director

ABC Accelerator
@abc_accelerator || @AnaLukner
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Juš Dobnikar - Slovenia

CEO & Co-Founder

ABC Business Academy
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Duygu Oktem Clark - Turkey

Business Development Leader

TTA Turkey | European Investment Fund
@T_T_G_V || @DuyguOktem
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Richard Pivnicka - USA

Honorary Consul General, Czech Republic

Band of Angels
@CzechStartups

February 12

Switzerland : Corporate and University Roles
in Growing Startup Ecosystems


Session #5 Introduction
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Penny Schiffer - Switzerland

Head of Startup Initiatives

Swisscom
@SwisscomStartUp || @PennySchiffer
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Lea von Bidder - Switzerland

President, Co-Founder & VP Marketing

Ava Science
@AvaWomen || @LeaVonBidder
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Andrea Fossati - Switzerland

CEO & Co-Founder

Parquery AG
@Parquery

February 26

New EU Data Privacy Rules | GDPR : Lessons & Risks for Silicon Valley Corporates & Startups


Sub-title: 'The European Union Invades Silicon Valley'

Session #6 Introduction
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Leila Golchehreh - USA

Senior Corporate Counsel, Privacy & Compliance

Adaptive Insights
@AdaptiveInsights || @LeilaGolchehreh
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Sabrina Ross - USA

Legal Director of Privacy and Consumer Protection (2014-2017)

Uber & Apple
@Uber || @Apple || @SabrinaRoss
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Marcel van der Heijden - Silicon Valley & Austria

Partner | VP Business Development

SpeedInvest | Aircloak
@SpeedInvest || @Aircloak || @Marcel_v_d_H
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Mirena Taskova - Silicon Valley

Senior Privacy Advisor

Fieldfisher
@Fieldfisher || @MirenaTaskova

March 5

The State of Tech in Europe


A Pan-European View on Startup and Scaleup Deal Flow, Venture Capital Funding and Corporate M&A Activity

Session #7 Introduction
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Marco Marinucci - Italy

Founder & CEO

Mind The Bridge
@MindTheBridge || @MMarinucci
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Gené Teare - South Africa

Head of Content

Crunchbase
@Crunchbase || @GeneTeare

March 12

Kosovo|Albania & Germany : eCommerce Portals and InterCity Mobility Startups


Session #8 Introduction

Course Summary : Why Europe?

Course Summary : Reflections on America - Lessons from Europe
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Pierre Gourdain - Munich

CEO - USA

FlixBus
@FlixBus || @Gourdain
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Mergim Cahani - Kosovo | Albania

Founder & CEO

Gjirafa
@GjirafaShqip || @MergimCahani
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Burton Lee - Silicon Valley

Lecturer - European Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Stanford Mechanical Engineering
@Europreneurs || @BurtonLee

Featured Videos

Ukraine & Russia - 2015

European Tech Media

Poland & Austria - 2015

UK & Croatia - 2014

Angry Birds & Prezi - 2013

European Market Entry